YULE TIDES

All is calm, all is bright as Ewan McDonald sails down the Danube, ‘the river that connects Europe’, to experience the magical Christmas markets of Salzburg, Vienna and Budapest.

ANGELS. ELVES. Reindeer. Stars. Trees ... each ornament dripping with snowflakes, sparkling in whites and blues, carved from wood, blown from glass. Plus the heady scents of hot, spiced wine and the lusty tang of grilled sausages in the early dark afternoon.

I’m in Passau, where Germany shakes hands with Austria, one of those medieval European cities seen in picture-books – or, these days, a YouTube video. Pastel-yellow buildings, cobbled squares, winding lanes, a vast and gorgeous cathedral. The Old City has the feel of a ship rising from these waters where three rivers meet.

Tonight, that’s what I’ll be doing. I’m boarding the Crystal Mahler for a seven-night cruise along the Danube, through Austria into Hungary, sampling Christmas markets big and small, ancient and modern.

River cruising is one of the best ways to experience Europe, particularly if you don’t want the hassle of driving on the wrong side of the road or feel flummoxed by the fine print of railway timetables. Ships are small, limited by the locks they must pass through: here, it’s 114 passengers and 85 crew. Pace is leisurely: mostly, they sail in late evening and moor before breakfast, allowing maximum time for sightseeing. Usually, they berth in the middle of town (expert tip: remember this before opening the curtains).

River cruising is placid. No rocking, no rolling. River cruising is calm. No kids, no casinos.

WHEN IN SALZBURG ...

Today’s lunch is punsch, the Yuletide liqueur that can pack one, and lebkuchen – ‘gingerbread’ that doesn’t contain ginger. Lots of other spices, though.

If you were to go to only one Christmas market, this might well be it. Wrapping around the cathedral and squares of the World Heritage-listed Old City, it’s one of the oldest. Advent markets have been staged here since the 15th century. More than 100 stalls sell food, handcrafted ornaments, ceramics, kitsch (if that’s a German word), dirndls and lederhosen. Young families and old folk flock into the squares every afternoon in December. Around a corner, boys jink and jostle on a massive, temporary outdoor skating-rink.

Music, for this is Mozartburg and ‘Silent Night’ was composed just up the valley. Oh, and that Julie Andrews movie. It doesn’t cut much ice with the locals, funnily enough.

We moored this morning in Linz, and this full-day trip is a good example of Crystal’s approach to shore excursions. It’s complimentary: there’s at least one free trip in most ports. The line uses its own coaches, which follow the ship, and local guides; no timewasting hanging around on the jetty. Itineraries are divided into categories with choices in each port tailored to